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--> --> Forestry officials drafting rules for wildland homes By Vickie Aldous Ashland Daily Tidings The carrot: Reducing the amount of flammable vegetation around your home can substantially increase its chances of surviving a wildfire. The stick: If you don't take steps to clear vegetation on your property, you could be liable for up to $100,000 in wildfire suppression costs. Concerned about the growing number of homes sprouting up in forested areas at the edges of cities, the 1997 Oregon Legislature decided that property owners in interface areas must take steps to safeguard their homes, or face penalties in the event of a fire. Since then, the Oregon Department of Forestry has been working to develop rules to implement the Legislature's wishes. "The bill itself directed the department of forestry to go fairly slowly on the process," said Jim Wolf, fire prevention planner with the Oregon Department of Forestry's Southwest Oregon District. After public input, the forestry department could adopt rules as soon as June 2002. Homeowners would be liable for fire suppression costs two years after adoption of the rules, giving them at least two and a half years from now to reduce wildfire fuels on their property. "Landowners could be liable if a fire starts on their property and burns through an area that should have been treated," Wolf said. While the bill may seem punitive, legislators said their goal is to protect the lives of residents and firefighters by integrating interface landowners into a coordinated fire protection system. "They're a key part of the protection system," Wolf said. "This bill brings them in as a partner in the protection system." Locally, the City of Ashland has worked to reduce fire hazards on city-owned interface lands for several years, and this fall, the Ashland Ranger District began a multi-year project to clear brush and small diameter trees in the Ashland Watershed. Residents' efforts to protect their own land received a big boost this summer when the forestry department distributed more than $75,000 to Ashland and Greensprings neighborhood groups to reduce wildfire risk. Wolf encouraged all residents in the interface area to begin work now to cut back on wildfire fuels on their property, before the new rules take effect. He said fall, winter and spring is the ideal time for wildfire hazard reduction work. During the summer fire season, restrictions on the use of chainsaws, mowers and other equipment make such work difficult. "I encourage everyone, even though the drizzle is coming down, that now is the time to prepare for next fire season. If they need any assistance, give us a call," Wolf said. The Oregon Department of Forestry can be reached at 541-664-3328. Ashland Fire & Rescue, which also provides free wildfire risk reduction advice, can be reached at 482-2770. Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing